A Modern Romance
by xx.Nicolie.xx
Summary: ONESHOT. Summary inside..


**A Modern Romance**

Leah looked up at the beach, sighing with warmth inside her heart. Her head tilted and she blinked lightly, smiling as she admired the pleasant surroundings.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" Dan smiled near her ear, putting his hands on her hips. Leah flinched with surprise, and then recovered with a deep breath.

"You scared me." She sighed with a giggle, putting down the glasses she had in her hands and turning around. Dan nodded downwards to the outdoor table, a look of disapproval on his face.

"Don't let me stop you working, you slacker." He joked, indicating to the task that she had broken away from.

"I wish! I haven't stopped all morning! Colleen's had the day off today, so I'm covering for two people. She had to go to Yabby Creek for something…" Leah explained, spinning around on the spot again to face the table. "So I have to do it all until Irene gets here in an hour or so. But I do love coming out here to clear tables, it's so lovely outside today." She admired again, picking up the glasses slowly as she darted her eyes around. "I haven't seen Drew today, have you?" Leah asked Dan over her shoulder.

"I saw him at break when I was in school, but not since then." Dan told her. "Oh, wait; he did mention something about staying afterwards to finish some coursework." He exclaimed.

Leah laughed to herself, moving off into the Diner with the glasses in hand. Dan followed closely behind.

"You're always forgetting things…" She muttered, entering the kitchen. "Which reminds me, have you fetched that scooter for Ryan's birthday?" She asked, placing dirty pots into the sink. Dan hit his head, groaning at his stupidity. Sensing his obvious answer Leah spun around, a disappointed look on her face.

"Dan, his birthday is tomorrow!" She moaned.

"Don't fret! I'll get it now!" Dan promised, leaning forward and kissing Leah's cheek. "Super Dan can do it!" He cheered, backing out the diner quickly and leaving Leah quietly laughing to herself, shaking her head gently at her husband's odd behaviour.

Meanwhile, deep in Summer Bay High a sponge of dark hair poked through the gap in the door.

"Hello?" It called; its eyes spinning around the room. "Hello?" With that last repeat the suspicious student was confident that he was alone. With a gentle push from the hips he entered the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Silently he swept across to the other end of the Computer Lab, carefully manoeuvring his slim body around the abandoned chairs and structured desks. He stopped at the back of the white room and sat down in front of a computer nearer the left hand side. He slid his bag off his shoulder as he bent down, hooking a chair from behind with his foot. He dragged it carefully towards him and sat down upon the black, textured plastic. His fingers touched the keys of the keyboard, typing in the school login details and password he had been given when he first arrived. After the simple transaction his eyes left the screen and directed themselves towards the closed door, watching and waiting for someone to enter.

With an orange flash from below his eye level, he was aware of the current state of his account. Logged-in. With a smile he touched the mouse and dragged it diagonally upwards and to the left, clicking twice on the Internet Explorer icon. He slowly removed his hand from the mouse and moved it to the keyboard, typing in the address to the website he'd spend hours on everyday, waiting for the company he longed for.

"Chat4Hourz." He read under his breath as he logged on to the Internet chat room. "BakerzCakes007" He continued in a whisper, typing in slowly and accurately. As the site logged him on his eyes returned to the door, praying for a soul not to enter. He knew what he was doing was wrong and that if he were caught using the school system for this he'd be in big trouble - but he couldn't help himself. He had to use the school computers today; he just had to. They had organized this important meeting a couple of days ago, and he wasn't going to let Dan's broken computer prevent him from talking to his beloved girl.

Okay so beloved girl may be a bit strong, but all he knew was that the feelings he felt for her were nothing like he'd ever felt before. They had a connection; they had a value between them that made them feel as a whole when they spoke. He hadn't experienced those feelings with anyone else, not in this town or his previous neighbourhoods. Sure, he'd thought he'd been in love before; but that was when he was foolish. Now he had realised that relationships are based on a strong friendship and a connection; which is what he has with this girl. And today they were going to take their relationship to the next step in the cyber world – they were going to exchange photos, details of age, name and location.

He checked the online list, reading each name as carefully as the next. A laugh charged from his mouth as he read downwards, acting from the unnecessarily rude names. 'How do they think of them?' he thought to himself, scrolling down the page.  
"SmartieBabe 3" He sighed with a smile, nervously double clicking on the name and opening up a private chat. He withdrew his right hand from the mouse and brought it over to the left, accompanying his left hand at the keyboard.

_BakerzCakes007 : Hi._

He waited anxiously, steadying his breathing as he prayed that she'd remembered. He had especially uploaded his pictures to the school account earlier this morning, hoping that she had done the same.

He imagined her to be a brunette with long, wavy hair. Half hung over the left side of her face, whilst the other half scooped behind an ear, unmasking her beautiful cool-toned cheeks. He pictured her as having frozen skin; effectively disturbed with plump, strawberry lips, small in width but proportional to her magnificent eyes. Those eyes consisting mainly of a radiant green have speckles of gold around the deep pupil, creating a beautiful shine in Australia's sunrays. Then her curved, lengthy eyelashes truly appreciate the volume of her eyes, and her perfect eyebrows lace the captivating face with a beautiful expression.

_SmartieBabe 3: Hi Bakez. I thought you'd forgot._

Like he'd have forgotten. Some times he would wish he could forget. She was taking over his mind 24/7, curious questions of her appearance and what she'd be like face-to-face and of course - how well she kissed.

_BakerzCakes007 : You wish. Come on then, are you going to show me your beautiful smile?_

_SmartieBabe 3: I'm not sure about beautiful smile, but I'm ready to send you my picture. What about we send them at the same time?_

He smiled to himself, his heart fluttering as the time drew to a close.

_BakerzCakes007 : Sounds like a good idea. Count to three?_

_SmartieBabe 3: Okay. One,_  
_SmartieBabe 3: Two,_  
_SmartieBabe 3: Send._

With a smile he clicked his final button, sending the file of him charmingly posing beside the fridge, clad in a pair of boardies. Sudden thoughts rushed through his head, worries and frets of what his last action may have done. "What if she doesn't like me? What if she stops talking to me?" He panicked, his heart sinking and pulse racing with every added question. He was that worked up that he'd nearly forgotten to keep checking her photo had been received, but with a tingle of the speakers he was reminded. The file had been received; it lay on his desktop, waiting to be opened.

This was it; this was the time. The beauty of SmartieBabe 3 was about to be unveiled. Before him was the file, the file to the truth about her - not that it would affect his feelings. He knew that whatever lay before him would not change his opinion, whether she be a blonde, brunette or redhead, she was perfect to him.

Click. The face flashed up on the screen, accompanied with the small body that rested underneath. The flowered imprint dress and sparkling make-up emphasised her bouncy hair that had been perfected with a flower clip. The elegant girl wasn't a girl; she was a woman. A woman of experience and clear natural beauty. But why was the boy frozen to the spot in shock and mortification?

"Oh my Gawd!" She screeched, raising her hand to her mouth as she stared at the boy on her screen. Instantly recognizing him, she leant back on the chair in shock. She hadn't been expecting this. "It's pornography!" She exclaimed, glancing away from the bare chest in the photograph. Her hand began to shake near her trembling lip, fear overwhelming her as she considered the prison sentences that she was facing. "I'm going to die in prison! I'm going to rot in jail! I'm a sick, sick woman!" She screeched again, standing up in protest.

"Colleen, what's going on?" Dan asked, moving down the Yabby Creek E-café. He looked concerned and bewildered, worried at Colleen's state of mind. He'd been casually walking past, Ryan's birthday present in hand, when he heard a familiar screeching from an open shop door. He'd peered through the window only to confirm his suspicions, and then felt obliged to help the bizarre woman out. Though now he wished he had just kept walking. He was receiving stares from other customers, each one sympathising that he actually knew the crazy woman on computer 3. Dan blushed gently and moved his gaze straight to Colleen's compute, trying to avoid the customer's looks.

"Collee- Why have you got a picture of Drew?!" Dan exclaimed, highly concerned and confused at the smiling photo of his nephew on her screen. Colleen stood rigid in shock, unable to move the picture of Drew Baker from her monitor. So instead she stood there, her hands close to her chest and her mouth wide open.

"Lock me up! Throw away the key!" She squealed, breaking from her posture and rushing out the café, knocking people dizzy on the way.

Dan stood confused, still intrigued as to why Drew's photo was on her computer desktop. For now he'd leave the batty woman and focus on his question. He leant forward towards the computer, curiously reading the conversation on the chat room between the pair, slowing figuring out the embarrassing truths of the couple's Internet romance.

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So this is a lesson for you all... be careful who you talk to on the Internet, as it might just be Colleen.

Please comment, and look out for the sequel "Muffins of Love"! Who's the next victim of Colleen Smart's love?


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